Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Genre: Drama
Year: 2021
Running time: 2 hours
Director: Abhishek Kapoor
Cast: Ayushmann Khurana, Vaani Kapoor, Kanwaljeet Singh, Anjan Srivastava
Kid rating: PG-13
Manvinder “Manu” Munjal (Khurana) is a gym owner and body-builder and Maanvi Brar (Kapoor) is a lovely young Zumba teacher who teaches in Manu’s gym. The two fall in love, but when Maanvi reveals a big personal secret Manu feels cheated and breaks off the relationship.
Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui is about a relationship between a heterosexual man and a trans woman and deals with the acceptance of transfolk as normal members of society. The film presents its topic with humor, using macho Manu, his Punjabi friends and his conservative family as mouthpieces to voice the common misperceptions and prejudices with regards to transfolk. Not only are Manu’s family aghast at the idea, Maanvi’s mother herself had distanced herself from Maanvi because of her gender reassignment.
Ayushmann delivers a strong performance, but we didn’t expect any less. Vaani Kapoor is really good here too, by turns tremulous and stoic, as Maanvi remembers past indignities and insults hurled at her by family, friends and society in general. It was nice to see Kanwaljeet Singh as Maanvi’s supportive dad. Manu’s family, while a little stereo-typed, does probably represent typical middle-class outlook.
Chandigarh Kare Ashiqui deals with a serious topic, but in a light, humorous vein – and succeeds because it does get us to feel for Maanvi’s hard choices and her struggle to find acceptance and happiness. The film is well-paced, has peppy music and keeps one engrossed. Director Abhishek Kapoor (Kai Po Che, Rock On) takes a progressive note with this film and delivers a breezy entertainer.
Kidwise: Kids probably aren’t the right audience for this, unless well-educated about the issue. The film features discussions about sexual orientation and graphics of the actual procedure.
